Can custom clothes save a guy?

August 24, 2006|By Kevin Pang, Tribune staff reporter

There once was a bubble gum wrapper that read, "You are unique ... just like everybody else." Now that's cute, but it had me thinking: Are we living in a one-size-fits-all culture? We eat the same cheeseburgers from McDonald's and buy the same ironic T-shirts from Urban Outfitters.

If we were truly unique, we wouldn't all be force-fed from the same societal spoon. We would be tailor-made, custom-sized and fitted to a T. We wouldn't be living in a world with only four body types: S, M, L and XL.

In other words, I want to be a made-to-order man. So I found three places that would help me do just that.

Custom cologne

The place: The Aroma Workshop boutique emits a halo of scent, growing ever more intense as one nears its Lincoln Park location. Once inside, it takes time to get used to the aroma barrage, which hits you like a bushel of potpourri. Scents in liquid form, such as "baby," "pomegranate" and "African musk," are stored inside tiny glass bottles that line the counter top.

The process: The scent technician, Tedd Neenan, gives me the once-over to read what sort of aromas might suit me. He asks what aftershave and colognes I use: Cool Water, Giorgio Armani's Gio. From there, Tedd selects certain bottles and has me smell them. Ciel, big sur, bergamot, all names I've never heard of with scents that are hard to articulate. Like a mad scientist, Tedd mixes various combinations on test strips to sample.

The result: After a few dozen blends, a whole lot of tinkering (I may have said "less woodsy, more citrusy"), he creates a custom cologne that smells like nothing else in the world. The winning formula: 30 drops of amber, 60 of earth, 60 of ciel and 120 of big sur. The smell has a masculine sweetness, fresh, a bit aftershavey with hints of sandalwood. If I don't like it, I have no one to blame but myself. But I do like it.

$21.80 for a 1.25 ounce spray bottle

Aroma Workshop

2050 N. Halsted St.

773-871-1985

www.aromaworkshop.com

Custom tie

The place: We track down Alex Licci, an Italian tie maker from Birmingham, Mich., who runs Alex Originals and posts examples of his creations on his Web site. The reversible ties look nifty (a different design on each side), especially the $75 Pope John Paul II tie. The pontiff never looked so fashionable. But what catches our eye is that he can make custom ties from our photos.

The process: Licci is a gregarious, excitable tie maker who clearly takes pride in his work. "I'm an artist and craftsman. I would put my experience towards it," says the self-professed World's Greatest Tie Maker. Licci asks me to send a picture of someone or something I cherish. So I send a picture of my iPod, and a check for $150--no Paypal, no credit cards over the phone. Licci has complete creative control over how the tie will look and feel. Over the course of a week, he calls several times to update me on his progress. Each time, he sounds more enthusiastic and says several customers who saw the tie in progress are asking for the same design.

The result: The tie arrives by mail 10 days later. I unwrap the thick packaging and the tie reveals itself--and it is indeed a revelation. The lipstick red tie has a pattern of heart-shaped petals and a stitched red and black iPod. The knot is shaded gray (an $15 extra) to add contrast. The fabric doesn't feel much like Italian silk (as claimed), and it's glued, not stitched, at several points along the back. For reasons good and bad, I certainly don't own any piece of apparel quite like this.

$150

Alex Originals

www.tiesandbowties.com

248-250-4333

Custom dress shirt

The place: Richard Bennett (the shop, not the man) has been a Chicago mainstay since 1929, and the lobby of a Loop office tower is an appropriate place for a tailor and shirtmaker. It gives a sense of regality and professionalism without being overstuffy--something the men's department of Old Navy can never match. Here, glossy headshots of local TV news personalities, who have donned the shop's shirts and suits, are displayed with pride. Alas, I'm not on TV and I have no personality, but I would like a custom-made shirt.

The process: Jim Gordon, a man with 20 years experience in the apparel trade, sits me down with a thick book of designs, fabric samples and hand drawings. It's like picking out body parts with a police sketch artist. For an occasion like this, a simple white dress shirt just won't do. I go with pink, a color many women say looks masculine. After feeling a number of different fabrics, I pick an Italian twill, a smooth fabric with a subtle diagonal weave. Jim suggests 3/4-inch side pleats, which allow more room in the back when I lean forward. He also suggests a 1/16-inch edge stitching, an English spread collar, no pockets (better with ties) and mitered cuffs. The differences seem negligible, but Jim assures me that taken as a whole, the shirt will be fabulous. Then comes the fitting room, and a few measurements and 20 minutes later, I'm on my way.

The result: My custom-made shirt arrives three weeks later. I try it on at the store and, just as advertised, it fits perfectly, like a silver wrapper around a Hershey's kiss. Not too tight, no wasted fabric and a fantastic, velvety feel. For $240, it's the most expensive shirt I've ever purchased, but it does one thing better than any article of clothing I own--it fits comfortably.